How to prune and shape Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)

Buddleia or Buddleja are probably one of the most popular garden shrubs, removing faded flower spikes during flowering, (dead heading) will keep all varieties of buddleia, flowering longer throughout the summer.Annual pruning encourages plenty of new growth and larger flowers for the coming year.

Leaving on the last of the flowers and letting them turn to seed, provides food for small birds during the winter months.

When to prune Buddleia or Buddleja

The best time to prune Buddleia is late winter or early spring, just as the new buds begin to swell, cutting away the previous years growth to two or three buds from their base.

Typical buddleia shape after pruning

Cut way the previous years growth

Don’t be scared buddleia is a hardy shrub, and generally very forgiving when it comes to pruning, easily surviving an oops or 2 with the cutters believe me, any mistakes will soon be hidden by healthy new growth

Unless you want to remove a branch entirely, to reshape buddleia, do not cut back into the older wood, it is usually thicker and darker coloured as this may not readily sprout new shoots.The pruned shrub will have a low framework of branches from which shoots will grow rapidly to produce flowers in summer.

The most well known of all the butterfly attracting plants & shrubs. there are many varieties and colours of buddleia, Dwarf varieties like the “Buzz” and “Blue Chip” for small gardens and pots make them ever more popular